The Symbolism Of King Arthur In The Works Of Sir Thomas Malory

Superior Essays
Arthur’s tombstone read: “Hic iacet Arthurus, rex quondam rexque futures”, or in modern English, “Here lies Arthur, King once, King to be”. The story of King Arthur was originally written by Geoffrey and then recreated by the French Sir Thomas Malory. The story recounts a tragedy of a king losing his queen and in the end his kingdom. Arthur, a rather prominent figure in the history of legendary Britain is still deemed a symbol of patriotism and heroic deeds for today’s Englishmen, so that the passing of Arthur and his life, if he ever really existed, is equally momentous as depicted in both works of Sir Thomas Malory and Lord Tennyson.
While conceiving King Arthur was initiated by an evil sorcerer, Merlin, Sir Thomas Malory represented King
…show more content…
The warrior kingdom was one of chaos and a brave Arthur wanted to restore civilization, to bring back justice and peace, to renew the darkness into a golden age. He shaped the legend as we know it with new echoes. Most of the success of the story is attributed to the themes and psychological motifs that have been there for thousands of years. Civilization, first, came to England by the Romans, who passed their beliefs to tribes. Then they returned as conquerors, bringing systems, and building fundamentals of western civilizations (streets, faith, etc’…) and then they were gone, and a legend was born- the one who pulled out that sword.
King Arthur was first of all a warrior. For the building of civilization first came the discipline of battle demanding courage, skill, loyalty and self control, more than that, chivalry. It meant much more than courtly manners. “The knightly growth that fringed [Arthur’s] lips” (line 388 p.298) were the last features to invade his face before death; thus foregrounding the significance of knighthood and its following
…show more content…
He was accused of being a common criminal, the same man that wrote the great story. We incline to find hard to believe a man with no auspicious record has written a great story such as this. Ensnared in deeds leading to calumny, nevertheless, Malory might have had another side, a man of an admiration to loyalty and endeavor and the disciplines of humanity. Yet still, this world is a place where the un-admirable is more likely to be successful. Lancelot, as well, is a paradox: he is a good man yet his lust led to the fall of the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Swords, shields, and all things medieval. Everyone loves an adventurous tale of knights in shining armor, sword fighting to protect their kingdom full of castles and royalty. When an individual hears the term medieval, most imagine the courageous and noble King Arthur. King Arthur is remembered as this strong, brave leader, who although contained flaws, was a true hero. This is a tale that has stuck around longer than the others, but why?…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Arthur’s allusion represents the overall battle of good versus evil and the fight for equality. King Arthur and Arthur Jarvis were well liked, and respected by the people. Paton states “the church had been too small for all who wanted to come” (181), and this is the ultimate representation of the respect that Arthur receives. King Arthur had the Knights of the Round Table at which everyone at the table was seen as equal. Arthur Jarvis fights for the equality of both races and his death is seen as a major tragedy.…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Knights Code of Chivalry was part of the culture of the Middle Ages and understood by all (lordsandladies.org). It was a moral system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of Chivalrous conduct, qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women (lordsandladies.org). The Knights Code of Chivalry played a central role in medieval culture, and was therefore a reoccurring theme in stories of the time. These stories are filled with tales of kings and knights whose lives are based upon principles of this code. This essay will examine the actions of King Arthur in the story I am Mordred to determine if Arthur displays qualities found within the Knights Code of Chivalry.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the novel The Once and Future King, author T.H. White takes the readers into the world of King Arthur and his legendary story. Spanning from when King Arthur was nothing more than a boy called by the name of Wart, up until his final battle, White brings us into the a world of chivalry, magic, and adventure. During the course of the novel, White maintains the ability to introduce major, and minor, themes and lessons that are routed within a thrilling plot filled with animal transformations, enrapturing characters, and exciting journeys. The story of King Arthur, as told by White in The Once and Future King (which is based upon White’s interpretation of Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Arthur) (Day and Lagorio 213), holds multiple lessons and themes in which the readers can take away after reading…

    • 1019 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Like the Anglo-Saxon code, a big part of chivalry is gaining respect and honor. What others think of you, matters. In the text, “Green Knight,” this is shown when Gawain cuts off the Green Knight’s head. All of the other knights, as well as King Arthur, celebrate and praise him. Respect and honor are shown in the text, “Morte d’Arthur,” when Arthur dies in the end and Sir Bedivere still stays loyal to him.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    What is your first thought when you think of King Arthur? Is it the shining knights valiantly fighting evil doers, is it Merlin casting magic spells, or is it the tragic love story of Guinevere and Lancelot? Several people over the years have taken on the challenge of re-imagining the Arthurian legends, shaping them for their own purposes, adding new interpretations to the old stories. One such retelling of the legends is the novel The Once and Future King written by the author T. H. White, a problematic man living during one of the most tumultuous periods in the twentieth century, World War II.…

    • 1939 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    King Arthur was a film made based on the tale of Arthur and his knights. Throughout this story of the great hero Arthur, steps of the common hero’s journey and many literary elements were frequently exemplified. The film focused on the history and politics during the period in which Arthur ruled; a time when the Roman empire had collapsed and battles for power broke out in outlying countries. The Romans were impressed by the Sarmatian people’s fighting skills and in order for them to be spared, they had to send their sons to serve Rome in the cavalry for fifteen years. Only after these 15 years of services, these knights are free to return home.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Scholar Chantry Westwell states, “The epic tales of King Arthur’s court, of chivalry, courtly love and the quest for the Holy Grail are some of the most captivating and poignant of all European fiction,”(Westwell). The stories of King Arthur are known around the world and have been told for centuries. These tales…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Knightly System (A Literary Analysis of Chivalry in Excalibur) The examples of chivalry in the movie Excalibur are strength/courage, wisdom, and duty/respect. The character Urther Pendragon wanted the Queen to himself so he met Merlin to cast a spell and make a deal with him so that Urther could disguise himself as the king so he could sleep with her for one night to distract her so that his mates could kill the king. Within the entire movie there are numerous counts that strength/courage, wisdom, and duty/respect are displayed.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    It is studied because it is a part of the 12th grade English studies. The importance of the supernatural illustrates the theme of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The legend of King Arthur may have been based off of the Celtic warriors, who fought the Anglo-Saxon invaders of England. Arthur was an early Briton, who fought off the Romans in England during the fall of the Holy Roman Empire.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    "King Arthur. " Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 July 2016. Web. 03 Aug. 2016. "King Arthur Biography. "…

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    King Arthur Chivalry

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Chivalry was alive in the many Arthurian Legend stories. During that time, chivalry was basically a moral code for knights. For example, keeping one’s word could have been considered chivalrous. In Thomas Malory’s “Sir Launcelot du Lake,” and John Steinbeck’s “The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights,” chivalry is alive. Chivalry is shown to be alive in Thomas Malory’s “Sir Launcelot du Lake”.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Men were empowered to become knights and climb the Pyramid of Power. This pyramid enabled men to move up the ranks and aspire to become more(Introduction). However, the Medieval institution of knighthood is based on the code of chivalry in which…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    King Arthur Research Paper

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Throughout Arthur’s many quests, the most important he had were his conquering of the Roman Empire, his obliteration of uprisings throughout his kingdom, and finally his battle with his most trusted knight, Lancelot. He battled this revered warrior because Lancelot made an attempt to court the Queen. In the end, the Queen fell for Lancelot and Arthur caught them having an affair. After which, Arthur ordered the Queen to be executed for this treasonous act. Lancelot being a literal knight in shining armor came to save the day.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Merlin Essay

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gaster gave Heroic symbolism to Merlin in previous texts of the Arthurian Legend. The Life of Merlin and Merlin and Vivien are being compared by the difference of the themes and interests by different authors of different time periods. For example, Monmouth provides the audience with special qualities…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays